The 2006 Weissburgunder Kabinett trocken displays a subtly smoky and crushed stone cast that works well with the natural toasty nuttiness of this variety. And like most of the best Pinot Blanc, this manages to combine a sense of stuffing and flattering creaminess with lift and refreshment. Hints of lanolin and toast are also contributed by a newish barrel. This has a lot of potential at table, and might well continue to be worth following for 3-5 years, although there is no track record. The harvest almost filled the month of October, but by the standards of this large estate with holdings stretching across four communes, that is (in Johannes Selbach’s words) “super quick” and volume was down 30% from the already small 2005 harvest. Musts were sometimes fined with bentonite but never with charcoal. “This is my year of superlatives,” says Selbach. “When I think of my children and their children, and about a wine one could open in a hundred years and say ‘Wow!’ one dreams of wines from great historical vintages like 1911, 1921, 1953 ... and that in one’s own lifetime one might experience and harvest wines that would number among them. For me, that’s 2006.” Selbach took an interest in Pinot Blanc for sparkling wine, since there are some promising old vines in cooler side locations of Zeltingen’s Schlossberg. But he now thinks the fruit will probably always be too ripe for that purpose, whereas the still results are themselves promising.There are a few regional importers of certain Selbach wines, but the majority (and those whose prices are noted above) are Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300